Written Answers Tuesday 2 September 2008

Scottish Executive

2014 Commonwealth Games

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how Roxburgh and Berwickshire will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how East Lothian will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how Carrick, Cumnock and Doon will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how Ayr will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how Clydesdale will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how Cunninghame South will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how Galloway and Upper Nithsdale will benefit from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, detailing those benefits and showing the knock-on effects on local projects and investments.

Stewart Maxwell: Hosting the Commonwealth Games presents the whole of Scotland with great opportunities to make material improvements to people’s lives: to improve people’s health, to help get people into work, to increase the confidence and international profile of Scotland and to make Scotland a more environmentally-friendly country. As well as bringing estimated net economic benefits of £81 million and 1,200 net new jobs at a Scottish level, the games can lend impetus to the delivery of existing priorities and programmes across all policy interests be they sport, health, education, business, cultural, tourism, volunteering and others.

  That is why we have consulted widely - through a written consultation and through public meetings at 16 locations across Scotland – to establish where and, as importantly, how we can best use the games to benefit and leave a lasting legacy to all areas of Scotland. We have put in place a comprehensive group structure comprising internal and external stakeholders to consider that feedback and help develop and deliver a Games Legacy Plan. In doing so we will look to optimise the opportunities the games present whilst remaining realistic in our ambitions. The detailed Games Legacy Plan is due to be published in summer 2009.

  Key to the level of success depends on everyone being committed to the plan and playing their part in making it work at a national and local level. Just as we did to win the bid, it is vitally important that we all unite behind the common goal of making these games a success for all of Scotland.

Adult Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to gather robust data on the level of non-formal adult learning across Scotland.

Fiona Hyslop: In 2005, 2006 and 2007 national information on participation in community based adult learning has been collected through a survey of community learning and development activity and published on the Scottish Government website. This data is considered to be robust in terms of local authority delivery but not to give a full picture of delivery by the wide range of providers across statutory and third sectors. Plans are in place to review national information on community-based learning, including that collected to date through the activity survey. This review will be carried out with the full involvement of a broad range of interested parties, to ensure that any national data collected continues to be relevant, robust and deliverable without disproportionate cost.

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/07/29152428/0.

Adult Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of each local authority’s single outcome agreement, how it will ensure that funding for adult education programmes is protected.

Fiona Hyslop: We are investing record levels of funding in local government. However, this government believes that decisions about funding allocations should be made locally.

  The Scottish Government’s joint concordat with local authorities, along with the single outcome agreements, is a new way of working, built on mutual trust and respect, focused on improving outcomes for the people of Scotland. It means that the Scottish Government will stop micro-managing local government, allowing councils to concentrate their efforts on delivering better front line services, including adult education. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments.

  Levels of support for adult education, then, will be decided at a local level and, given that the needs and associated costs of adult education services will vary from one local authority to another, it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on required levels of support in any specific area.

Adult Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that there is parity of funding for adult education programmes across local authorities.

Fiona Hyslop: We are investing record levels of funding in local government. However, this government believes that decisions about funding allocations should be made locally.

  The Scottish government’s joint concordat with local authorities, along with the single outcome agreements, is a new way of working, built on mutual trust and respect, focused on improving outcomes for the people of Scotland. It means that the Scottish Government will stop micro-managing local government, allowing councils to concentrate their efforts on delivering better front line services, including adult education. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments.

  Levels of support for adult education, then, will be decided at a local level and, given that the needs and associated costs of adult education services will vary from one local authority to another, it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on required levels of support in any specific area.

Adult Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will produce an adult education strategy, similar to the early intervention strategy outlined in the Curriculum for Excellence, which will consider family learning.

Fiona Hyslop: Skills for Scotland , our lifelong skills strategy, sets out a new agenda for skills and learning in Scotland through a system that works for people of all ages and all walks of life, so that they can access the education and training opportunities that they need to improve their skills and achieve their full potential.

  The skills strategy provides us with the opportunity to set out our ambitions for skills, in a lifelong learning context, from cradle to grave. The strategy covers early years provision, schools, further and higher education, work related learning and informal learning opportunities, including adult learning in community contexts, as well as looking at information, advice and guidance and funding systems.

  HM Inspectorate of Education has highlighted the contribution of Community Learning and Development (CLD) to family learning. Working and Learning Together (WALT) sets out a long-term framework for the promotion and development of CLD with one of the three national priorities identified as raising standards of achievement in learning for adults through community-based lifelong learning opportunities. This, along with Skills for Scotland, provides a strategic framework for community-based adult learning including family learning.

Adult Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to non-formal adult learning that focuses on adult literacy and numeracy since May 2007.

Fiona Hyslop: It is not possible to identify how much funding has been allocated to non-formal adult learning that focuses on adult literacy and numeracy since May 2007.

  Scottish Government funding for Community Based Adult Learning is distributed to the Community Learning and Development (CLD) partnership in each local authority area through the local government finance settlements.

  In 2007-08, this funding was provided as part of the block grant for 2007-08 and it was the responsibility of each local authority to allocate its total resources on the basis of local needs and priorities.

  For 2008-09 and the future, the Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11. The vast majority of the funding, including the funding for non-formal adult learning that focuses on adult literacy and numeracy, will be provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments.

Adult Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to non-formal adult learning that focuses on community-based adult learning delivered in generic settings, such as community centres, since May 2007.

Fiona Hyslop: It is not possible to identify how much funding has been allocated to non-formal adult learning that focuses on community-based adult learning delivered in generic settings.

  Scottish Government funding for Community Based Adult Learning is distributed to the Community Learning and Development partnership in each local authority area through the local government finance settlements.

  In 2007-08, this funding was provided as part of the block grant for 2007-08 and it was the responsibility of each local authority to allocate its total resources on the basis of local needs and priorities.

  For 2008-09 and the future, the Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11. The vast majority of the funding, including the funding for non-formal adult learning that focuses on community-based adult learning delivered in generic settings, will be provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments.

Adult Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to dedicated community-based adult learning provision since May 2007.

Fiona Hyslop: It is not possible to identify how much funding has been allocated to dedicated community-based adult learning provision since May 2007.

  Scottish Government funding for community-based adult learning is distributed to the community learning and development partnership in each local authority area through the local government finance settlements.

  In 2007-08, this funding was provided as part of the block grant for 2007-08 and it was the responsibility of each local authority to allocate its total resources on the basis of local needs and priorities.

  For 2008-09 and the future, the Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11. The vast majority of the funding, including the funding for dedicated community-based adult learning provision, will be provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments.

Adult Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to the voluntary sector for local delivery of non-formal adult learning since May 2007.

Fiona Hyslop: It is not possible to identify how much funding has been allocated to the voluntary sector for local delivery of non-formal adult learning since May 2007.

  While some voluntary organisations may receive direct Scottish Government funding towards their HQ running costs through the annual allocation of HQ and training grants, the voluntary sector’s access to government funding for delivery of non-formal adult learning is through the money distributed to the community learning and development (CLD) partnership in each local authority area through the local government finance settlements.

  In 2007-08, this CLD funding was provided as part of the block grant for 2007-08 and it was the responsibility of each local authority to allocate its total resources on the basis of local needs and priorities.

  For 2008-09 and the future, the Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11. The vast majority of the funding, including the funding for the voluntary sector for local delivery of non-formal adult learning, will be provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments.

Adult Education

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to the voluntary sector for national delivery of non-formal adult learning since May 2007.

Fiona Hyslop: It is not possible to identify how much funding has been allocated to the voluntary sector for national delivery of non-formal adult learning since May 2007.

  While some voluntary organisations may receive direct Scottish Government funding towards their HQ running costs through the annual allocation of HQ and training grants, the voluntary sector’s access to government funding for delivery of non-formal adult learning is through the money distributed to the community learning and development (CLD) partnership in each local authority area through the local government finance settlements.

  In 2007-08, this CLD funding was provided as part of the block grant for 2007-08 and it was the responsibility of each local authority to allocate its total resources on the basis of local needs and priorities.

  For 2008-09 and the future, the Scottish Government will be providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding over the period covered by the spending review 2008-11. The vast majority of the funding, including the funding for the voluntary sector for national delivery of non-formal adult learning, will be provided by means of a block grant. It is the responsibility of each local authority to allocate the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and priorities having first fulfilled its statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities including the Scottish Government’s key strategic objectives and manifesto commitments.

Agriculture

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the extra input costs faced by farmers and crofters in the Highlands and Islands compared with other areas of Scotland.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government recognises that farmers and crofters in the Highlands and Islands face extra input costs. These are reflected in the current Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) which includes higher payment rates for the Highlands (classed as "fragile" areas) and Islands (classed as "very fragile" areas). To help develop policy about how LFASS should operate in the future, the Scottish Government is working closely with members of the LFA Stakeholder Group; this work has included detailed consideration of options for the basis of future payments. The Scottish Government will be consulting on LFASS 2010-13 during this autumn.

Culture

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has abandoned the SNP manifesto commitment to introduce a new grant enabling artists to reclaim the cost of the tax paid on work they have sold up to a maximum of £15,000.

Linda Fabiani: No. The Scottish Government views support for individual artists as an important part of funding and I have asked the Creative Scotland Transition Team to include such support as part of their broader examination of future funding models for the sector.

Domestic Abuse

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many interdicts for domestic abuse have been (a) issued and (b) breached in each of the last six years.

Kenny MacAskill: Information on the number of interdicts for domestic abuse which have been issued is not held centrally.

  Information on breaches of common law interdicts or statutory interdicts (or orders) without a power of arrest attached is not held centrally. Information relating to all cases for breach of an interdict (or order) with a power of arrest attached under the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection) (Scotland) Act 1981 or Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 is also not available centrally. We do have information for cases where breach of an interdict granted under these acts was the main offence. As someone breaching an interdict may commit other offences at that time, such as criminal damage or assault, this information does not give the full picture of arrests made and cases proceeded under the acts but is provided in the following table. In addition to this, not all interdicts which can be granted under the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 relate to domestic abuse.

  Persons Proceeded Against Under the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection) (Scotland) Act 1981 and the Protection of Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 Section 5(3)1

  

 Financial year
Contempt Of Court
(Matrimonial Interdict)
Protection of Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 Section 5(3)


 2001-02
 1
 -


 2002-03
 -
 2


 2003-04
 -
 2


 2004-05
 -
 9


 2005-06
 -
 3


 2006-07
 -
 2



  Note: 1. These offences relate to cases where the breach of interdict was the main offence.

Economy

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated gross value added was for Angus and Dundee City in each of the last three years for which figures are available, also expressed per head.

John Swinney: The gross value added and gross value added per head estimates for the area of Angus and Dundee City for the latest three years (2003, 2004 and 2005) are reported in the following table:

  Headline Gross Value Added (£ Million) and Gross Value Added Per Head at Current Basic Prices

  

 
 2003
 2004
 20051


 Gross Value Added
 3,502
 3,709
 3,894


 Gross Value Added per head
 13,973
 14,806
 15,506



  Note: 1. Provisional.

  These figures were published by the Office for National Statistics and can be found in tables NUTS3.1 and NUTS3.2 of the "Regional, sub regional and local gross value added" publication: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/gva1207.pdf.

Economy

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rates of economic activity have been in (a) Dundee City and (b) Scotland in each of the last three years.

Jim Mather: The official source of economic activity rates by local authority is the Annual Population Survey (APS). The following table shows the economic activity rates in Dundee City and Scotland for the last three calendar years.

  

 Year
 2005
 2006
 2007


 Economic Activity Rate - Dundee City
 76.6%
 76.6%
 77.6%


 Economic Activity Rate - Scotland
 79.2%
 80.0%
 79.9%



  Note: Rate applies to working age population (i.e. men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59).

  Further information from the 2007 Annual Population Survey can be viewed on the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/25095306/0.

Economy

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the classification of students as economically inactive has had on the reported figure for the rate of economic activity in Dundee City in each of the last three years.

Jim Mather: The number of students classified as economically inactive in Dundee City during the last three calendar years is shown in the following table. This also shows the level of economically inactive students as a percentage of the working-age population in Dundee City.

  It should be noted that not all students are classified as economically inactive. A student who does at least one hour paid work or has stated that they are actively seeking and available for work is classified as economically active. The effect on Dundee City’s economic activity rate of some students being classified as economically inactive is not quantified as the Scottish Government does not hold information on whether those individuals would be economically active or inactive if they were not students.

  

 Year
 2005
 2006
 2007


 Number of Inactive Students
 5,700
 5,000
 5,200


 Percentage of Working-Aged Population
 5.90%
 5.60%
 5.90%



  Source: Annual Population Survey (APS).

  Notes:

  1. Working age population refers to men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59.

  2. Figures on number of Inactive Students are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Environment

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vehicles have been seized under section 3 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 or section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in each year since 1999.

Richard Lochhead: The information the member has requested is not held centrally.

  The powers to seize vehicles are under section 6 of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 and are exercised by police and local authorities.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it shares the concern expressed by the European Commission about the environmental benefits which have been delivered by set-aside, and when it will announce the detail of the measures it will introduce to safeguard those benefits.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government welcome the environmental benefits that have been delivered as a consequence of set-aside. Our consultation paper Future implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in Scotland invites views on measures that should be taken to maintain the environmental benefits of set-aside. The consultation period runs until 5 September 2008, and we will take a decision on appropriate measures in the light of consultation responses, views from our common agricultural policy (CAP) health check stakeholder group and the outcome of the EU-level discussions on the CAP health check.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental benefits it considers have been delivered by set-aside, including benefits to farmland bird and other biodiversity, water quality and public access.

Richard Lochhead: It is difficult to quantify the environmental benefits that have been delivered as a consequence of set-aside. They can vary greatly, depending on how the set-aside land is managed. Benefits can include the creation of suitable habitats for wildlife, particularly birds, a reduction in diffuse pollution from using fewer pesticides and fertilisers and less disturbance of the soil, where set-aside land is not used to grow industrial crops.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the UK Government’s stated support for the proposal that arable farmers will be required to manage a small percentage of their land primarily for environmental purposes, what options it is considering to maintain or replace the environmental benefits of set-aside and whether it considers that making this requirement a condition of receiving the single farm payment would be an appropriate course of action in Scotland.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government are aware of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ preferred option to require arable farmers to manage a small percentage of their land primarily for environmental purposes. Whilst this is clearly an option for Scotland, it would be wrong to pre-empt the outcome of our consultation on the Future implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in Scotland which seeks views on this issue.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether problems with respect to the application of Aminopyralid herbicides to vegetation that ends up in compost and the consequent damage to gardens and crops in allotments have been brought to its attention and, if so, what action it will take to address the situation.

Richard Lochhead: We are aware that these problems have been reported. The relevant manufacturer, Dow AgroSciences Ltd, has indicated that, as a precaution, it is withdrawing from sale products which contain aminopyralid. In addition, the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) has formally suspended its authorisation of the substance while it undertakes further investigation of the concerns of allotment holders and others. I am assured that there are no implications for human health, but I will ask PSD to keep me informed of developments.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to assess the environmental impact of the loss of set-aside, particularly on wildlife and water quality, given that research commissioned by the Scottish Government shows that approximately 75% of land that was left out of production in Scotland as set-aside in 2006-07 was sown for agricultural production by spring 2008.

Richard Lochhead: In addition to commissioning the study referred to in the question, the Scottish Government is seeking views on measures that should be taken to maintain the environmental benefits of set-aside.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the removal of set-aside could lead to environmental deterioration on farmed land.

Richard Lochhead: Potentially, yes. The Scottish Government recognises that, although set-aside was introduced as a supply control mechanism, it brought environmental benefits. It is currently consulting about measures that should be taken to maintain these benefits.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the impact of the loss of set-aside on the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and what measures it intends to take to ensure the provisions of the directive continue to be met.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government recognises the interaction between set-aside and certain aspects of the EU Water Framework Directive. In particular, buffer areas, especially next to water courses, offer benefits both for wildlife and for water quality. As a provision implementing the Water Framework Directive, the Water Environment (Diffuse Pollution) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 include general binding rules which prohibit tillage within two metres of a watercourse and the application of fertilisers close to watercourses. These rules came into effect in April 2008.

  In addition there is an option in the Scotland Rural Development Programme where funding can be applied for in respect of enhanced buffer areas over and above the two-metre margin, where such a measure would have benefits for wildlife or water quality.

Housing

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what requirements there are in respect of the publication of minutes by housing associations.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Karen Watt, Chief Executive of The Scottish Housing Regulator to respond.

  Her response is as follows:

  The Scottish Housing Regulator has published a Regulatory Code of Governance which describes the regulatory requirements relating to the governance of registered social landlords (RSL). This code and the supporting guidance is statutory guidance.

  The public record of governing body meetings and sub-committee meetings should be freely available, for example upon request by a service user, tenants organisation or member of the public, or by being placed on the internet if the RSL has established a website.

  There may be occasions when access to minutes needs to be restricted, for example on data protection grounds, or where information is judged to be commercially sensitive. Decisions to refuse access to information on these grounds should be made with reference to the circumstances of each case.

Housing

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its policies on addressing fuel poverty and poor housing take account of the prevalence of concrete and other difficult-to-insulate housing in the Western Isles.

Stewart Maxwell: The fuel poverty programmes we inherited from the previous administration do not allow measures to tackle such homes effectively. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing re-established the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum on 22 May 2008 to advise on the future shape of these programmes and has specifically asked them to consider the needs of fuel poor households in rural areas. The forum is expected to report in September 2008.

  As part of the stock transfer arrangements Hebridean Housing Partnership received £175,000 in 2006-07, £325,000 in 2007-08 and will receive £275,000 in 2008-09 to ensure that their stock meets the Scottish housing quality standard. This funding allocation takes into account the types of dwelling in the Western Isles.

  Funding is allocated to councils for investment in private sector housing through the Private Sector Housing Grant. The level of annual baseline funding has increased since its inception in 2003-04 and currently stands at £67.3 million. Additional funding above baseline has also been made available with an additional £40 million being awarded over the last two years alone. Allocations to Western Isles Council have averaged over 5% of national expenditure, the fifth highest allocation of any council.

Local Government Finance

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what Aberdeen City Council’s budget estimate was for 2007-08.

John Swinney: Aberdeen City Council’s budget estimate in respect of total net revenue expenditure for 2007-08 was £408.1 million.

  This information was taken from the provisional outturn/budget estimate 2007 form as returned to the Scottish Government by Aberdeen City Council.

Local Government Finance

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what Aberdeen City Council’s provisional outturn expenditure was for 2007-08.

John Swinney: Aberdeen City Council’s provisional outturn in respect of total net revenue expenditure for 2007-08 was £416.2 million.

  Note: *This information was taken from the Provisional Outturn/Budget Estimate (POBE) 2008 form as returned to the Scottish Government by Aberdeen City Council.

Local Government Finance

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the difference between Aberdeen City Council’s budget estimate and its provisional outturn expenditure was in 2007-08.

John Swinney: The difference between Aberdeen City Council’s budget estimate and provisional outturn in respect of total net revenue expenditure for 2007-08 was £8.1 million.

  Note: *This information was taken from the annual Provisional Outturn/Budget Estimate (POBE) forms as returned to the Scottish Government by Aberdeen City Council.

National Lottery Funding

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recent closure of the Big Lottery Fund’s Investing in Communities funding portfolio, whether it intends to consult on future spending priorities in Scotland of the Big Lottery Fund and, if so, what form the consultation will take, who the lead organisation will be and when it expects the consultation to begin.

John Swinney: Priorities for distribution of lottery funding in Scotland by the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) are set by Scottish ministers in policy directions made with the consent of the Secretary of State for Scotland. It is the intention to review the policy directions to align more closely with the Scottish Government’s purpose and objectives. The review exercise will draw on a consultation process on future priorities, to be undertaken by BIG, which will commence in November 2008 and conclude in February 2009.

Rural Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Scottish Rural Development Programme has sufficient funding to incorporate any additional objectives.

Richard Lochhead: The Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) was developed with significant input from stakeholders and was approved in February 2008. The objectives of the programme are consistent with the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 Rural Development Strategy which was the subject of extensive public consultation in 2006.

  With £1.6 billion available over the Programme period 2007-13, the SRDP offers a substantial level of resources to meet the demands placed on it. The availability of funding for any additional objectives would need to be considered in the context of overall funding pressures within the Scottish Government.

Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff will be employed by the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission will start with a staff of 15. As the commission will be responsible for its own staffing, any further questions on this matter should be addressed to the commission.

Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what cost savings will be incurred through the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission’s sharing of resources with other organisations including the Executive.

Kenny MacAskill: Following set up, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission is responsible for its own budget. Questions on these matters should be addressed to the commission.

Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total set-up costs are for the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission and what budget has been set or anticipated for running costs in years one, two and three of operation.

Kenny MacAskill: A budget of £2,000,000 was allocated for setting up the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC). At present, the total set up costs are not yet known, but are expected to be within budget. Other than set up, the Scottish Government is not responsible for funding the commission. Questions about budget and running costs should therefore be addressed to the SLCC.

Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission’s budget will be spent on (a) investigation of complaints and (b) administration of the commission, also expressed as a percentage.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission is responsible for its own budget and questions about its spending should be addressed to the commission.

Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to minimise the cost to the taxpayer of the setting up of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

Kenny MacAskill: In setting up the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC), the Scottish Government has used companies on the Office of Government Commerce contracts list for furniture and fit-out and for IT equipment. There was a competitive tendering exercise undertaken for the SLCC’s new case management system.

Sexual Offences

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged eight to 12 years have been prosecuted in the (a) sheriff or (b) high court for committing a sexual offence in the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: In the last five years for which information is available (2002-03 to 2006-07), there has been one person in the age group eight to 12 prosecuted in a sheriff court for sexual offences, where this was the main offence. The year of the offence was 2002-03.

Sexual Offences

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged 13 to 15 years have been prosecuted in the (a) sheriff or (b) high court for committing a sexual offence in the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons Aged 13 to 15 Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Sexual Offences1, 2002-03 to 2006-07

  

 Court Procedure
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 High Court 
 4
 2
 3
 5
 2


 Sheriff Courts
 1
 4
 5
 3
 4



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Sexual Offences

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged 13 to 15 years have been prosecuted or referred to children’s hearings for committing a sexual offence against another 13 to 15 year old in the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is not held centrally. Data on the age of victims is not recorded on the Scottish Government Court Proceedings database.

Sexual Offences

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the recidivism figures for prisoners who have been released from HM Prison Peterhead and have been reconvicted of sexual offences in the north east in each of the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally. The source of information for Scottish Government reconviction rates does not hold information on the prison in which an offender served his or her sentence.

Sexual Offences

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list recidivism figures for each prison for each of the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally. The source of information for Scottish Government reconviction rates does not hold information on the prison in which an offender served his or her sentence.

St Andrew's Day

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that goods used in the celebration of St Andrew’s Day 2008 are manufactured in an appropriate location.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government is sourcing Saltire flags and other promotional goods for use in the celebrations of St Andrew’s Day 2008 from Scottish Government approved suppliers according to procurement guidance. The buying decision is made on quality, price and required delivery time. I can confirm that Scottish-based suppliers will be amongst those invited to submit bids for goods to be used in the celebration of St Andrew’s Day 2008.